He has been long recognised as the best cricketer Weston-super-Mare has ever produced, and as the best cricketer never to play for England.

But now Somerset’s own Peter Trego has just begun a new innings – as a TV presenter.

And instead of just standing with a microphone as a pundit at a cricket match, the larger-than-life all-rounder has travelled the world for a thought-provoking new documentary series. The first of the six-part series, called Beyond the Boundary was broadcast at the weekend, and the one-hour shows are on the Insight TV channel.

Peter Trego travelling the world for a new TV series

The 36-year-old cricketer, who has a legendary cult following in Somerset, travelled to Singapore, Sri Lanka, Rwanda, Kenya, South Africa and Dubai for the series, which will look at the way cricket is shaping people’s lives around the world, often bringing people together and helping to heal divisions.

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So in Rwanda, Trego discovered how cricket is helping to solve the country’s tensions following the ethnic genocide there two decades ago.

“The whole experience really touched me,” he said. “One of the shoots that had the most profound effect was the second episode, which we filmed in Rwanda.”

Peter Trego in Rwanda

“More than 20 years on, the country still bears horrific scars but the government has used cricket to bring these two tribes together. Listening to some of the awful stories and looking at the statistics of how many people lost their lives it’s incredible to think how a small game from England is being used to bring unity and peace,” he added.

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“There’s a memorial at the front of the ground and when I did my piece-to-camera I felt like I’d stumbled on my words but when I watched it back I think I gulped because of the terrifying events that took place.

Peter Trego dancing with the Masai in Kenya

“I really saw myself react to what I was witnessing and learning. The experience was a bit surreal. Given that I’ve spent years playing at hundreds of different cricket grounds, walking into a ground where twenty years ago 5,000 people were murdered is a very poignant moment.”

In Singapore and Dubai Trego met migrant workers whose living conditions are extremely tough; the only happiness that they have is their Sunday afternoon game of cricket.

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“I didn’t realise the lengths that some people go to play the game; it’s their lifeline. These guys work in construction doing 12-hour days, six days a week. They go to big cities to find work to support their families and to live the dream but the reality is very different,” he added.

Trego’s Somerset team-mates are lining up some top sledging for their elder-statesman as he embarks on a new career path, he said.

Peter Trego filming his new TV series

“They’re obviously desperate to mock me and have a laugh,” he said. "They’re already talking about having a team night in to watch the screening of the first episode.

"I think they will really enjoy it and if there’s one statement I could say to the cricket world it’s: you haven’t seen anything like this before! I’ve watched a lot of cricket TV. This isn’t about Shane Warne or Glenn McGrath, it’s not about an Ashes series; this is the people’s cricket,” he said.